Being Human
by HappyCookiie
Summary: Gone, that's what she was. Empty, that's what he was. And confused, that's what his brother was. When a Witch places a curse on two brothers torn apart by hatred, they must work together to reclaim which she took, and learn to fill the emptiness and confusion that plagues their tormented souls. And also come to realize that humanity is not always a curse or a weakness. I/S (YAOI)
1. Curse

**Author's Corner**

Something I decided to write after getting quite a bit of a soft spot for Inuyasha after reading quite a few fanfics about him. How did I never notice how cute he is? Plus I figured since it's the holidays, why not?

Set after the last battle with Naraku in The Final Act, and Kagome's disappearance down the well where she is trapped in her own time. These are the events that take place in those three lonely years Inuyasha spent without Kagome. And of course, what would a story be without an appearance from our all-time favourite dog demon Sesshomaru? ;) What would it be like if our two favourite dogs were transformed into weak little humans due to some crazy curse? How would they handle such a situation? Review and favourite if you enjoy the first chapter!

**Characters: **Inuyasha/Sesshomaru. (Yaoi)

**Themes: **Hurt/Comfort, Adventure, Romance, Action, Family, Angst.

**Summary: **Gone, that's what she was. Empty, that's what he was. And confused, that's what his brother was. When a Witch places a curse on two brothers torn apart by hatred, they must work together to reclaim what it is they lost, and learn to fill the emptiness and confusion that plagues their tormented souls. And also realize that humanity is not always a curse or weakness.

**Disclaimer: **Inuyasha doesn't belong to me, cause if it did I would have added lots of kinky scenes between Inu and Sessh... Just sayin'. ;)

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><p><strong>- BEING HUMAN -<strong>

An Inuyasha and Sesshomaru story

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**Chapter 1**

**Curse**

It was done now. Things were finally over. After years of long and hard adventuring in trying to rid the world of their most nefarious enemy, their efforts had finally paid off. The source of darkness was now gone, along with the monster, the pain and suffering he wrought. So why didn't that victory feel like Inuyasha had anticipated it to? Why didn't it bring the happiness he had craved? All that had come from it, was emptiness. Inuyasha felt like a huge hole had been torn through his heart, filling him with nothing. It wasn't supposed to end like this. It was supposed to have ended with smiles, relief filled joy, and celebrations. An unlikely alliance of friends shaking hands and nodding at the defeat of their archenemy. But that wasn't what had happened. Instead she was gone. The very thing he fought so hard for, believed so hard in... gone. Torn back through the enchanted well to her own world just as quickly as she had been pushed through to his, as if she were never there in the first place. She was supposed to have remained there, with him, finally free to be with him, with nothing tying her down. Why did she have to have been snatched from him just as she became rightfully his? Perhaps, Inuyasha decided, that was simply how the world worked. It granted you brief happiness, mere moments of tranquility and belonging... then dragged it away from you cruelly without reason or warning, just because it could. That was the way things worked. It must have enjoyed doing that, torturing a weak little half breed.

What did he do now? He wandered mostly. Wandered aimlessly throughout the lands of Western Japan, searching for something... anything that was worth his while. Something to get his blood pumping again and make his spirit soar. But he never found it. No matter how far or long he wandered; he never experienced any such feeling. He began to wonder if experiencing such adrenaline was only made possible with her. Only she could fill him with such warmth and determination, make him feel so alive in protecting her. Even simply conversing and spending time with her drew those reactions from him. She had been the source of his strength, the secret behind his power, the flame to light his darkness. And now she was gone, her light gone with her, filling his soul with darkness. Why did he torture himself so with the memory of her? Why not accept that she had been an important, yet only temporary, part of his life and move on? Those were questions Miroku and Sango had asked him. Why he did not just remember her with a smile, and carry on living as she would have wanted him to. She would have 'sat' him for his pathetic behaviour, they commented sadly. He brought a clawed hand up and fingered the smooth black beads of the rosary that hung around his neck like a collar, a sign that even now he still belonged to her. As much as he had once despised her awful tendency to force him into submission via these magical beads, and send him plummeting to the ground roughly, he now desperately yearned for that sensation. Yearned to feel the sharp pain of his connection to her. Instead of the empty void that filled his soul.

It had been months since he stepped foot in Kaede's village, only returning to its outskirts occasionally to visit the old dormant well that sat in the middle of the clearing. He saw no reason to step foot in the village again, not even to see his former human companions and their new growing family. It wasn't like they needed him there anyway. Shippo he saw very rarely, the young kitsune having taken to participating in the Fox Youkai training exams. Kirara now accompanied Kohaku on demon slaying missions, who he also saw very little of. There was an invisible wall Inuyasha had built between himself and his former group, a wall he wasn't entirely sure why he had built. Perhaps to reduce the pain he felt every time he laid his gaze on each of them. Perhaps to avoid the sad looks they gave him when they saw him, the looks of pity. He was, after all, the only one out of all of them that was unable to move on from that spot in time that Kagome had vanished. The only one that sat frozen in time. Avoiding the arrogant Wolf Youkai he had once feuded with over Kagome was the easiest. Seeing the wolf just brought back bad memories of their squabbles over the little miko, memories that tore through Inuyasha's empty heart. The only other former ally that was rather difficult to avoid... was his sadistic half-brother.

He crossed paths with the over-proud Taiyoukai every few months, their encounters consisting mostly of stares. The little toad that accompanied Sesshomaru would squawk and flail around with his two-headed staff, and the dragon called Ah-Un would just stare at him like its master. Rin now resided in Kaede's village, meaning that Sesshomaru visited the human dwelling more than Inuyasha oddly enough. The encounters with his brother did very little for Inuyasha, nor did they make him very nostalgic. Interestingly, Sesshomaru had not once made a move to inflict damage on him, nor had Inuyasha ever raised his sword in attack, making their encounters seem weird and almost alien. The two would just stare at each other with sharp golden gazes for a while, ignoring the irritating shrieks from the Taiyoukai's little retainer, before they went their separate ways without exchanging a single word. As crazy as it sounded, Inuyasha sometimes wished for the familiar pounding of his brother's fists and claws. Something to remind him of his past memories when the two would fight viciously and Kagome would step in and stop them. A good fight with Sesshomaru would be a good way to relieve the stress that was building in him, and would surely briefly replace the emptiness he felt with adrenaline pumping through his veins. But neither one ever attacked, each seeing such an action to be pointless. Pointless it may be, but a pointless action was better than no action at all in Inuyasha's eyes. This was why he made his decision when he crossed paths with Sesshomaru once again.

As the white regal form of the InuYoukai strode towards him, this time without the company of Jaken and Ah-Un, Inuyasha inhaled deeply and rested his hand on the hilt of Tetsusaiga's handle. Sesshomaru noticed this and stopped, observing Inuyasha with his narrow metallic eyes. When the Hanyou's palm curled around his sword's handle tightly, Sesshomaru too reached for his sword, his Youki beginning to hum faintly. Inuyasha felt the raise in demonic aura and yanked the fang from its sheath, relishing in the feeling of the power flooding into the sword as it transformed into its large glory, as he lunged at his brother. Sesshomaru smirked and unsheathed the Bakusaiga instantly, before leaping forward and slashing his blade against Inuyasha's. Inuyasha grunted as Sesshomaru put more pressure onto his sword and pushed against the Tetsusaiga, his eyes filled with excitement and murderous intent. The Hanyou snarled and dug his heels into the rough ground, pushing forward as he bared his fangs defiantly. They withdrew momentarily before their blades clashed again, this time more fierce.

"You took your time in attacking me Inuyasha," Sesshomaru spoke lowly, "Why did you hesitate for so long?"

Inuyasha slashed with the Tetsusaiga and frowned, "I guess I was waiting for you to attack first!" he spat over the sounds of metal colliding.

A visible smirk played on Sesshomaru's face as he leaped backward, "I believed it was you _you,_ little brother, that held that tendency to lash out without reason."

Inuyasha panted and wiped several beads of sweat from his forehead with his free hand, looking across the vicinity where his elder brother stood. The Taiyoukai did not make any attempt to strike, he just stood there still and watched his Hanyou brother. Inuyasha snorted and held the large fang up in Sesshomaru's direction, "I'm not the bastard that always fails to kill a weak little half breed." he remarked sharply, causing Sesshomaru's smirk to vanish and his eyes to narrow in a menacing manner. He sheathed his sword and walked towards Inuyasha slowly, too slowly. When he was within a centimetre away from the sharp tip of the Tetsusaiga, he frowned and flexed his claws. A shiver threatened to run down Inuyasha's spine at the look in his brother's eyes, but he suppressed it.

"If it was my intention to kill you... you would not be standing here still."

Inuyasha frowned in confusion and growled, "Well if you don't wanna kill me why did you always try beat me to a pulp?" he questioned, never lowering his blade.

Something menacing flashed in Sesshomaru's eyes as he brought his claws up and scraped them down the blade of Tetsusaiga slowly, drawing an awful screeching sound that went through Inuyasha and rung in his ears. Electricity crackled at Sesshomaru's claws as the sword's barrier tried to push him away without success. "...My intention was to merely discipline you, half breed."

Anger filled the emptiness in Inuyasha as he snarled loudly, snapping. "_Discipline_!? What the fuck!? I nearly died cause o' your 'discipline' lessons! Don't give me that shit you bas-"

The electricity generated by Sesshomaru's claws on the Tetsusaiga intensified as the dog yanked it out of his brother's grip and tossed it onto the ground like a broken toy. Blood dripped from his fingers where the blade had cut him, and he used the bloodied hand to grip Inuyasha's throat tightly. His sinister sharp gaze bore right into Inuyasha's as he squeezed his neck tighter, making the Hanyou cough and splutter. The Taiyoukai's eyes bled red as he bared his fangs. Inuyasha choked and clawed at his brother's hand that was wrapped around his throat like a snake. He was being slowly lifted from the ground by his neck and his toes curled at the intense pain shooting through his body. He reminded himself that pain like this was good. Pain was better than nothing. Pain was a feeling, a sign he was still alive. So with that thought at the front of his mind, Inuyasha's eyes flooded with even more defiance and he spat right in Sesshomaru's face. The red in Sesshomaru's eyes brightened and he released his grip around Inuyasha's neck, dropping the Hanyou to the floor roughly. He wiped the spit from his face and glared down at the insignificant creature below him. The half breed snarled in response and glared back up at him. Sesshomaru raised his claws and cracked his knuckles, and Inuyasha closed his eyes and readied for further pain. His heart was pounding and his blood was pumping through his veins, but he still lacked the brilliant sensation of adrenaline and excitement he felt when fighting for Kagome. Perhaps after more pain he would? He sat waiting for the sharp sting of the demon Lord's claws to come... but it did not. He opened one eye and blinked in surprise when he saw a strange yellow ring of energy restraining Sesshomaru's wrist from striking him. He furrowed his brows in confusion and looked at the visible display of annoyance reflected on his brother's face as he tried to break the force that was preventing him from attacking.

"There. That is better." an unfamiliar female voice cut through Sesshomaru's snarls suddenly, as the two brother's heads turned in the direction of the voice.

Several feet away from them, stood the elegant form of a young woman with long ebony hair that reached the ground and pooled around her feet like a cloak, decorated with numerous golden hair pins and combs. She dressed like a noble, a many layered kimono of different shades of purple, and golden chains around her neck and wrists. Her eyes were a sharp silver that had a mysterious sheen to them, like the faint glow of the moon. Her right hand was raised and glowing a bright yellow, the same colour of the energy that had woven around Sesshomaru's wrist. That was when Inuyasha made the connection that it must be she whom was restraining his brother. Just as Sesshomaru was about to leap at her with his other hand, she captured that with her yellow energy too, along with his whole body and held him in place where he stood. He snarled fiercely as his magenta stripes grew jagged and his fangs elongated.

"Oh give it a rest," she sighed, "You cannot break my restrains, Taiyoukai, no matter how much strength you believe you possess. I can see your arrogance in your eyes." Ignoring Sesshomaru's menacing growls, she turned her attention to Inuyasha and looked down at his battered form with pity in her glittering silver eyes. She walked past the furious bound Taiyoukai, seeming to float across the ground, and came to stand just before the crouched Inuyasha. "Little Hanyou..." she started sadly, "I can see such pain reflected in your eyes, so different to your elder brother's. You are lonely, because you have lost something haven't you? Or rather... some_one_."

Inuyasha blinked in surprise at her statement and opened his mouth as if to speak, though no words came out. How had she known what he had lost? He was sure he had never come across this strange female before. Mind you though, he and his companions had come across many creatures and characters along their adventures, too many to begin to list. But somehow, Inuyasha was sure he would remember meeting this strange woman. "..Who... are you?" he asked finally.

She smiled lightly at him, "I am called Unya - an immortal Mage, gifted with magic and the ability to conjure up spells and magic." she answered softly.

"Mage?" Inuyasha repeated, "Mage as in a Witch?"

"I suppose you could call me that yes," she nodded with a smile, receiving an annoyed feral snarl from the still restrained Sesshomaru. She turned her head from the battered Hanyou and stared at his elder brother with a sigh. "Why do you treat your kin with so much hatred?" she asked," Why do you inflict so much damage on him? What has he done to you to earn such a vivid torture?"

Sesshomaru merely snorted at this and gave her a simple answer. "Why, you ask? He is a half breed, a filthy animal worth little to nothing." he answered as if it was the easiest question in the world.

This answer did not please Unya, as she rose to her feet and walked towards the Taiyoukai. "Then why not kill him?" she asked much to Inuyasha's horror, as she weakened her power on Sesshomaru's restrains, "Surely it would be an easy task for someone with your power and ego? Why do you refuse to do so if you claim to hate his very existence?"

Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed as he frowned, apparently pondering over her question. After a moment's silence, the Taiyoukai lifted his head and narrowed his eyes. "He is not worth the effort." he answered finally.

Inuyasha snarled at the answer and rose to his feet, his fists clenched as he made his way over to where the Tetsusaiga lay stuck in the ground. The Mage watched as the Hanyou attempted to pull the blade from where it stuck, as did Sesshomaru. With the sword free, Inuyasha gripped its hilt and made his way over to the immobilized form of his elder brother. He held the large blade to the glowing yellow Taiyoukai's neck and narrowed his eyes. "I want you to bear in mind that you can't move right now cause o' magic an' shit, but just listen okay?" he frowned, "The only difference between us is that I'm only half Youkai and you're fully. You hate me for my human half when you sure as hell know it ain't my fault! If you wanna blame someone you should blame the old man, he's the one that's responsible for my birth!" Sesshomaru's silence and cold gaze bore straight through Inuyasha, but he continued nevertheless. "You claim to hate humans, but you never give a good reason why! Sure some of 'em are weak as hell and hella irritating, but they aren't good enough reasons for you to discriminate their whole race!"

Unya watched the pain and anger flood from the Hanyou's eyes where they had been held prisoner for so many long and lonely years. She watched as he voiced his true opinion to his brother on the matter. He clenched his teeth and suppressed another snarl, holding the Tetsusaiga closer to his brother's glowing form. "That's no reason for you to mistreat and try to kill a little Hanyou whelp that can't even protect himself from human villagers! That's bullshit and you know it Sesshomaru." he spat, "_Bullshit_." When Sesshomaru's stoic mask fell back into place, Inuyasha nearly shoved his sword through the bastard's neck in frustration. Had he heard anything he just said?

"Your hatred towards humans is indeed rather bothersome, Taiyoukai." Unya intervened, "As it is also silly. But perhaps... I can do something that may help your opinion on the matter, as well as benefit your brother." The brother's looked at her, intrigued but equally irritated by their confusion. She continued, "As you may know Hanyou, tonight is the night of the moon's new cycle, a monthly time of fear I see reflected in your eyes. But fear not, your brother cannot harm you as long as my involvement remains. He will learn to accept your human heritage, for if not the consequences will be... severe."

"Are you threatening this Sesshomaru?" the InuYoukai asked with a menacing scowl.

Defiance and superiority glinted in her silver orbs as she smiled sadistically, "...Yes." She laughed lightly at the look of surprise and irritation that flashed across his face and crossed her arms. "In order to reclaim what it is the two of you have lost, come to Izumo in ten days, no later... Or you will not get back what it is you've lost."

"What we've lost?" Inuyasha repeated, "What the hell are you talkin' about? We haven't lost anything. At least.. _he_ hasn't."

"Nothing yet," she smiled mischievously, "You shall see very soon. I await your arrival in Izumo, and do not even dare come alone, I will not see either one of you unless you arrive together." Just as Inuyasha was about to mouth something out of frustration, a yellow mist enveloped her and carried her away along the winds, taking the yellow glow that restrained Sesshomaru along with her.

Inuyasha felt a brief wave of panic wash over him as Sesshomaru was freed, and tightened his grip on the Tetsusaiga. The Taiyoukai looked down at him with malicious sharp eyes, before turning and walking away calmly. Inuyasha frowned in confusion and pointed the blade at his retreating figure. "Hey! The hell do you think you're going!?" he called angrily.

Sesshomaru paused in his tracks for a moment, not bothering to turn his head as he answered. "...You are not worth any further effort." And with that remark, he walked off into the forest and out of sight, his fur pelt blowing behind him regally.

Shocked with the blunt and incredibly simple answer, Inuyasha could do no more than stand dumbly with the Tetsusaiga still held in his hand. Humiliation flooded through him as he realized what he had said to Sesshomaru, how he had practically screamed all his hurt out in his blinded state. He considered pursuing the dog demon but then re-considered when he noticed how late it was judging by the sun's position in the sky. The night of the new moon was fast approaching, and he didn't want to be anywhere near the merciless bastard for his transformation. But he did wonder, why had Sesshomaru simply walked away after learning his night of weakness? Surely now was as good a time to slay him? Unya's questions ran through his head as he too wondered why his brother didn't just kill him if he was such a nuisance. The excuse of him not being worth the effort seemed rather odd since Sesshomaru still wasted his time fighting with him. Surely killing him would save him all the trouble? Inuyasha shook his head and stopped trying to understand the complex structure of Sesshomaru's brain, and ran off to seek shelter for his night of undoing.

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Sesshomaru strode on through the dimly lit forest, the stars being the only source of light tonight as the moon was barely visible in its place in the sky. _The new moon_. He shifted his gaze up to the ghostly form of the moon's outline and stood still. The Witch had informed him of the half breed's night of weakness, so why was he walking away without his head in his hand? This was the perfect opportunity to slice the nuisance in two, yet he was walking away. His eyes narrowed. Inuyasha's words were still fresh in his mind when he had been foolish enough to show his hurt, his hurt over how his elder brother had treated him as a pup. The Witch's questions also tormented him. She was right, why didn't he just kill the half breed? It sure would save him a lot of trouble. But for some reason unbeknownst to him.. he could not. He had come very close in the past, his intent clear, but when the moment came, his resolve weakened and he left the Hanyou with no more than a pocketful of scrapes. Why was he, killing perfection of all Youkai kind, unable to end the life of a worthless little Hanyou? He wasn't unable. He would go and end it now, in the midst of the half breed's weakness. Inuyasha would finally breathe his last breath, and Sesshomaru would be the one to make that happen.

But with that thought strong in his mind, a sudden wave of pain shot through his entire body and he stilled completely. He brought a fist up and clutched the fabric of his haori, refusing to get down on his knees in the sudden pain. His vision was growing white around the edges and his senses went out of control, his ears ringing loudly. His eyes bled red on their own and his stripes became jagged. The last thing Sesshomaru saw was the sinister smirk of the Witch, her words echoing through his mind as he lost consciousness.

_"You have ten days to reach Izumo."_

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><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>

That's it for the first chapter! What do you think? Leave some reviews pretty please! I'll love you forever and give you imaginary cookies!

~Happy


	2. Discovery

**Author's Note**

Second chappie here! Read and review if you enjoy, I appreciate all the support!

**Disclaimer: **The previous disclaimer still stands sadly :(

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><p><strong>- BEING HUMAN -<strong>

An Inuyasha and Sesshomaru story

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**Chapter 2**

**Discovery**

Inuyasha's heart lifted as the ascending sun's gold first rays slowly began to peek out from behind the distant mountains. He stood up on the tree branch he had been sitting on, keeping a low profile, and waited for the sun's warmth to restore his Youkai powers and transform his appearance. As light spread out across the forest, causing the morning dewdrops on the leaves to glisten and reflect the pale pink sky above. Inuyasha closed his eyes as a pleasant breeze blew through his hair and the sunlight finally shone upon him. He waited for a moment before re-opening his eyes and raising his hands to check the return of his claws. But when his gaze fell upon his hands, he froze. Tanned palms with blunt fingernails met his gaze, lacking the steel-hard claws of a Youkai. Inuyasha gasped in horror as he balled and un-balled his fists repeatedly, not believing what was happening. In this action, several raven strands of hair fell from behind his shoulder and hung shining in the morning light. He touched the black strands of hair disbelievingly; eyes wide, before he placed his hands on top of his head but was horrified to find his triangular canine ears were missing! In their place, were the smaller fleshy ones of a human! He opened his mouth and pressed his fingers to his teeth, learning that his fangs too were missing! This wasn't possible! How could he have not transformed? This had never happened before! What was he supposed to do?

In his panic, Inuyasha didn't notice he was stepping a little too far back on the branch, and he fell from the tree and landed on a springy bush below, cursing loudly. "Shit..." he grunted under his breath as he hauled himself up and rubbed his aching back. He looked around, awfully alarmed as his demon senses were gone so he couldn't smell or hear anything properly, almost like his ears had been plugged up with something. He darted off in the direction of a stream he remembered seeing the previous day, and knelt before it to look at his reflection.

A human man with long black hair and fierce violet eyes stared back at him, shock and horror written all over his face. The reflection of the human brought his hands up to cover his mouth in unison with Inuyasha, as he suppressed the urge to scream out of sheer terror. What the hell was going on!? The moonless night was over, so why wasn't his human period!? How was he supposed to transform back!? He paused as a realization dawned on him. Who could, and would, help him? It wasn't exactly like he was rolling in friends, there were little to none that he could rely on now. Miroku and Sango would be no help to him, they were only human after all, nor would Kaede and Rin. Shippo, he wasn't exactly sure how to pinpoint the little kitsune without his Youkai senses. Kirara and Kohaku could be anywhere in the country right about now so they were out of the question. Koga would just laugh and probably not even know what to do anyway. And Sesshomaru... Keh. There was no way in hell that Inuyasha would ever console with the fucker over something like this! He would just use it as an opportunity to smash him up or maybe even kill him finally.

"...Kagome..." Inuyasha whispered softly, the loneliness that had built in him suddenly washing over him like a tidal wave as he brought his knees up to his chin and curled into a sitting ball by the stream. He touched the wooden beads around his neck. Kagome wouldn't know any more than the others, but she would be the one that wouldn't give up. Kagome never gave up, especially when he was concerned. She always believed in him and gave it her all to help him in any way. If she were here, she would nudge his arm and tell him to lighten up. She would flash him her warmest and most reassuring smile and he would fill with warmth... But Kagome wasn't here to do that. Not anymore. He shook his head and tried to think what she would do. First of all, what could have possibly happened that could be the reason for this transformation? Yesterday there had been the encounter with Sesshomaru, then the fight, and then... the Witch. He jogged his memory as he tried to remember her words to him and Sesshomaru. She had said something about the two of them losing something, but she hadn't told them what. Something they had to travel to Izumo for. Could it be... his Youkai powers? But wasn't it supposed to be something that both had to lose? If that was the case then that could only mean...

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Something cold fell onto Sesshomaru's cheek as he slowly opened his eyes to the sight of dirt. He blinked and groaned, trying to recall what had occurred for him to be in such a shaming position. His most recent memories seemed to be of him walking through the forest after battling with Inuyasha, only to fall unconscious for some reason. Surely the half-breed couldn't have wounded him so severely for him to lose consciousness? No, he distinctly remembered leaving his little brother in one piece after their duel. He pulled himself up quickly before he was seen and dusted down his front, only to notice there was something wrong. Very wrong. There seemed to be something wrong with his hearing and nose - his senses seemingly dulled. He glanced down at his hands, which felt odd for some reason, and nearly gasped out loud in surprise. He brought his hands closer to his face and discovered that they didn't look very much like a Youkai's hands, their claws missing strangely. He furrowed his brows in confusion and balled his fists, the sensation almost feeling like he had no fingernails at all instead of blunt flimsy ones. Dark bangs fell into his eyes and he blew at them to get them out of the way... Wait. _Dark_ bangs? Sesshomaru stopped and lifted a long piece of his hair to examine. His eyes visibly widened when he found the strands to be midnight black instead of their usual shimmering silver. He unsheathed Bakusaiga and stared into the smooth surface of the blade, incredibly shocked and rather horrified when he saw dark violet eyes staring back at him in the place of sharp golden ones. Looking back at him in the reflection of the blade - was a male with long ebony hair and fierce purple eyes, he bore no facial markings of any sort, and he also lacked fangs and pointed ears. Sesshomaru dropped the sword immediately, like it was fire to his flesh, and stared at his oddly human looking hand. He stood like that for a while, frozen on the spot as birds flew overhead, completely oblivious to the identity of the being standing below staring at his hand.

After recovering from his shocked frozen state, Sesshomaru blinked slowly and picked up Bakusaiga, sheathing it slowly and noticing he didn't feel its aura like he usually did. He replayed the events of the previous day over in his head and tried to come up with an explanation for his shameful transformation. How was it possible that he, most powerful InuYoukai of the West, had been reduced to a worthless, pathetic human? It was completely unheard of! Such a thing had never been known to occur before, so what was he to do? He didn't particularly want to be seen by Jaken or Ah-Un in such a pathetic state, so he refused to return to them until he had been restored to his former Youkai glory. But the question was how was he to go about that exactly?

And then it dawned on him. The Witch. She had spoken of him and Inuyasha losing something they would have to travel to Izumo to reclaim. Was this her doing? How dare she, first having the nerve to intervene in his and the half breed's fight by restraining him with magic, and now she had stripped him of his powers! She would pay for this; he would make sure of that. If he wasn't human, he would surely be snarling uncontrollably and on the verge of transforming out of pure rage. After her display of trickery, she would not come out alive when he was finished with her. It was then that Sesshomaru realized something else of importance. Inuyasha. The infuriating wench had said it was something the _both_ of them would lose, thus forcing them to make the journey to Izumo together to retrieve what they lost. So surely Inuyasha was suffering the same problem as he? If that was the case, the fool would probably be getting himself into a difficult situation like usual. If he struggled to stay alive as a Hanyou, then he didn't stand a chance as a measly human! A large frown formed on Sesshomaru's face at the thought of going to the whelp, but his suspicions couldn't be confirmed unless he saw with his own eyes. But how was he to find him without his senses? How on earth did humans survive without the natural abilities of a Youkai? This, he thought, was the very reason they were so weak and vulnerable. This was the source of his hatred for his little brother.

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Inuyasha sighed heavily as he trudged through the forest, his arms hanging limp at his sides as he stared up at the pale blue sky. He had no idea where he was going, he was just strolling in the hope he would come across something familiar. A fool's logic, but right now there wasn't really anything else he could do. The snapping of twigs all around him made him stop as a faint rumble could be heard with his weakened hearing. He looked around frantically, gripping the Tetsusaiga's hilt fiercely as he tried to calm his rapid breathing and slow his heartbeat. He was an easy target for anything right about now - Youkai or bandits. The Tetsusaiga wouldn't transform for him in this state, so what was he going to do? The bushes beside him shook and a large rat with glowing yellow eyes and sharp teeth stumbled out, licking its lips at the sight of him.

"What do we have here? A tasty looking human?" the creature hissed, rubbing its furry hands together and swishing its fleshy tail in excitement.

Inuyasha gulped. "Keh. Get lost you overgrown vermin!" he yelled, replacing his fear with a rude attitude, "Go crawl into a hole or something before I slice you in half with my sword!"

But the Rat Youkai just laughed heartily and flexed its claws, "Quite the big mouth you have there human, but are you capable of living up to such words?"

Inuyasha scowled as the creature made its way towards him, teeth bared and hunger dancing in its held the sheathed Tetsusaiga at the beast and narrowed his eyes, "I'm warnin' you!" he shouted, drawing another laugh from the rat. The creature made a leap towards him, and Inuyasha threw himself to the side out of the Youkai's reach, landing on his stomach roughly. He grinned and taunted, "Gee you sure are a slow bastard! With speed like that, you won't even be able to catch a puny human like me!" The rat glared at him and made another jump towards where he lay defenseless. Inuyasha cursed at his overconfidence and rolled onto his back, holding the Tetsusaiga up as a shield. The Youkai towered over him and lashed at the barrier created by the sword. Inuyasha smirked mentally. If the standard's barrier could hold even Sesshomaru, then this weak rat couldn't even hope to break it.

"Get away from him filthy Youkai!"

Inuyasha and the rat turned their attention to the mob of human villagers that were running towards them with spears and other kinds of weapons held above their heads. They had burning torches and were advancing with speed. The Rat Youkai let out a fierce roar as he crawled up from his perch over Inuyasha and rushed towards the mob. He did not, however, foresee the odd sound-waves of deafening screeches that shot through his skull from somewhere to the left, and fell face-down on the ground. Dead. The villagers cheered and turned their attention in the direction of where the sound-waves had emitted from, as did the surprised Inuyasha. His violet eyes widened at the familiar figure he saw standing atop of a large rock several metres away, eyes trained on the lifeless form of the Rat Youkai, silver hair blowing in the wind majestically.

"Well done Shiori-sama!" praised one of the villagers, "Excellent display of skill!"

Shiori? Inuyasha stared at the elegant form of the young Bat Hanyou he had met many months ago on his quest to defeat Naraku whilst searching for a way to obtain the Red Tetsusaiga ability. On the shores of the West, he and his group had come across a Hanyou child born to a human woman and a Bat Youkai, who possessed a red orb - a magical item with the power to create barriers, which had granted Inuyasha the power of a built-in shield for his sword. They had departed the coastal dwelling of Shiori and her human mother and Inuyasha had never seen her again after that. And now, here she was.

The silver-haired girl hopped down from the rock she was standing on and made her way over to where Inuyasha sat. When she reached a few metres away from him, she stopped and stared at him. The villagers were silent as their Hanyou protector studied the stranger, as was Inuyasha. He should have known that she wouldn't recognize him in his human form. He would have to tell her it was him, before she gave him the same fate as the unfortunate rat.

"Shiori..." he started, watching as her eyes widened in surprise that he knew her name, "I know ya probably don't recognize me 'cause my appearance has changed and all, but it's me, Inuyasha. That other Hanyou that saved you from being a sacrificial offering a few years ago. The one you gave your red orb to as a reward for saving your skin."

Her eyes widened at his words and she tilted her head to the side, staring into his eyes. "...Inuyasha? Why do you look so different?" she asked curiously, "You look... _human_."

He grinned, "Well as you probably know since you're a half demon too, we have a certain period of weakness where we're human. Trouble is... I seem to be stuck like this because of some meddling Witch's curse."

She blinked, intrigued, and knelt beside him. "A Witch, you say? Why were you cursed by a Witch?"

"It's kind of a long story," he admitted rubbing the back of his head, "But basically I can't turn back into my normal form so I'm pretty much a walking meal for any passing Youkai."

Her eyes lit up at this and she clasped her hands together excitedly, "Then why don't you come to my house for a while! We can give you a meal and a bed for the night? Well?" Her red lips curled up into a hopeful smile and Inuyasha could do no more than sigh in defeat and nod his head. It wasn't like staying with her and her mother would be a bad thing anyway. He would have food, a bed, and more importantly... company.

Shiori plucked his hand and pulled him down a path that lead to the seashore, where her wooden hut sat on the beach, bathed in the light of the late afternoon. She ran on ahead and into the hut, probably informing her mother of his arrival, whilst Inuyasha walked up to the water line, allowing the salty water to lap at his bare feet. He stared out to sea, his hair blowing in the coastal wind. The memory of Kagome running down the beach in excitement came to his mind, her figure jumping up and down impatiently waiting for the rest of the group to join her on the sand. She had picked up a stick and thrown it for him as if he were a dog, and he had gone after it like one too. He closed his eyes and brought a hand up to capture a smooth wooden bead of subjugation between his fingers. He could feel a lump forming in his throat at the memory as he sucked in a deep intake of sea air to calm himself. He really should stop thinking about such things; it would save him a lot of pain indeed. She was gone, and constantly thinking that wouldn't bring her back. It would just create more emptiness.

"Inuyasha?"

The soft feminine voice pulled him from his melancholy thoughts and he opened his eyes to look at Shiori's saddened expression as she stood beside him in the shallow waters. He dropped his hand from feeling the enchanted beads around his neck and swallowed the lump in his throat. "Yeah?" he managed to voice a barely audible reply.

She stared at him a while longer, her eyes filled with sorrow and concern for him. "..You're sad, and it isn't because you've lost your demon powers." she said gently, "You seem... like you've lost something else too." Inuyasha winced at her words and balled his fists at his sides. Shiori noticed this and stared at him with even more compassion. "I see," she whispered eventually, "Do you... want to talk about it?"

He glanced down at the little Hanyou briefly, considering telling her about the emptiness building in his heart, and looked at the light in her young eyes. After seeing that, he made his decision and answered her. "...No."

She nodded in understanding and turned her gaze out to the sea, "Okay. But if you ever do, you can talk to me. You saved me from certain death all those years ago and for that I am endlessly grateful." she smiled before turning and walking back in the direction of her home. "Come in whenever you feel like it." she called over her shoulder before disappearing behind the straw flap that covered the entrance to the hut.

Inuyasha stood outside for quite some time, watching a flock of seagulls soaring high over the bay, bathed in the light of the slowly setting sun, and relishing in the soothing sensation of water lapping at his ankles. When he finally decided to go into Shiori's hut, he was fed a warm stew by the Hanyou's mother Shizu, who he had a pleasant conversation with before finally retiring to the straw bed they kept by the cooking fire. As he lay in the small bed staring at the ceiling, waiting for sleep to claim him, a low woman's voice whispered in his mind before he drifted off into the land of slumber.

_"Nine days, little Hanyou, nine days."_

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><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>

Gee Inuyasha sure is the depressant isn't he? I guess he can't be blamed though, poor guy. Did you expect to see Shiori come and save him though? I always kind of liked the little half bat girl when she was in the anime, so I thought it would be nice to add her in since she didn't really get much screen time. Inuyasha and Sesshomaru had better get a move on if they want to reach Izumo in time! Where even are they? Like Settsu or something? Japanese geography in feudal times sure is hard to follow. Good thing there are maps online for me to look at! Anyway please review! It makes me update faster ;)

~Happy


	3. Family

**Author's Note**

Heehee thanks for the kind reviews, they mean a lot! Hope you all had a nice Halloween like me, roll on Bonfire Night! :) School tomorrow though ugh. So here you are – the next chapter! Read and review!

**Disclaimer: **Still not mine! I don't make any profit from this! Only enjoyment!

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><p><strong>- BEING HUMAN –<strong>

An Inuyasha and Sesshomaru story

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**Chapter 3**

**Family**

Inuyasha awoke in a cold sweat and sat up abruptly in this temporary straw bed, panting heavily as he slowly accustomed to his surroundings. His rapid breathing and palpitating heartbeat gradually regulated as he realized all he had experienced was a very realistic dream. A dream in which he was hunted by none other than Sesshomaru - weak and vulnerable in his human form, giving the Taiyoukai a cruel upper advantage as he sunk his poisonous claws into Inuyasha's stomach, ignoring his pained cries and pleas for mercy... Inuyasha shivered at the incredibly realistic sensation of being filled with his brother's acid, and shifted his gaze down to the small tray that sat beside him on the floor. On it was a bowl of warm stew and a small loaf of bread, probably having been left there for him by Shiori or her mother. He shook the memory of the awful dream from his mind and began hungrily devouring the food like some wild animal that had gone weeks without food. When finished, he left the empty tray on the floor and looked around the hut for any signs of Shiori or her mother. He found it odd for them to be missing, so he stood up and walked outside onto the sand. The beach was as empty as the hut, and Inuyasha instinctively sniffed, searching for their scents... only to remember his little predicament. He cursed under his breath and began walking along the shore, looking in every direction for the Bat Hanyou and her human mother.

As he walked along the beach, bathed in the pleasant light of the morning, his thoughts unconsciously wandered to Kagome, something they had been doing a lot recently. He wondered how she was doing, if she was safe, and most importantly... if she was happy. She had to be happy she wasn't constantly in danger or nearly being killed, and that she didn't have to deal with someone as tempestuous as him anymore. She wasn't caught up in his conflicting affections for her and Kikyo, nor would she ever be harmed by him or anything else she had ever faced. She was in a better place, he reminded himself, a place that was made safe simply because he wasn't in it.

Inuyasha's head snapped up when he realized how far along the shore from Shiori's hut he had wandered in the midst of his melancholy thoughts. He had reached a small boat docking station, filled with an estimated amount of five row boats. Inuyasha glanced around for someone but found no sign of human life. If no one was around to see... would it be okay for him to take a boat? They had a few so surely they wouldn't miss just one? He felt bad for leaving without telling Shiori after she had been so hospitable to him, but he couldn't stay there forever. Besides she would be better off without him and his problems. He sniggered when he noticed a section of sea that flowed in through an opening in the headland, heading in towards land. A river leading to the sea? Inuyasha hopped into one of the boats and picked up the paddle, sending the small ship along the shoreline in the direction of the river leading in towards land. Perhaps his luck was finally turning around. He smirked. It was about time too. After a few hours of pushing along the swift current of the river, Inuyasha took the opportunity to study his surroundings. There were trees on either side of the river, and not a soul in sight, not even an animal. He sighed and pushed harder against the current, increasing his speed and deciding not to pay such meaningless things to mind. He laid down on the boat, letting the current carry him downstream, closing his eyes to rest.

When Inuyasha opened his eyes again, the sun was high in the sky and morning had long since passed. Something rocked the boat fiercely and he jolted upright in alarm. He looked forward, squinting his eyes to get a better view of what was up ahead. Why was the current suddenly so choppy? And where did the sharp rocks sticking up in the middle of the river come from? But worst of all... where did the steep drop come from just ahead of him?

Inuyasha yelped out of panic as he realized he was heading straight for a waterfall. "Crap!" he cursed loudly, searching the body of the boat for the wooden paddle. He grabbed it and began pushing against the current frantically, without any progress as the boat traveled dangerously closer to the drop. He cursed again before summoning all the strength his human form would grant him, and leapt from the boat onto one of the rocks in the middle of the violent stream water. But he missed the rock he was targeting and instead collided with a sharp one at the very edge of the waterfall, which he clung to desperately, choking and spluttering on the spraying water. His hair was drenched and clamped to his head, covering his eyes with a dripping black curtain. And his clothes were equally drenched and clinging to his skin, stained a darker more translucent red – the very colour of blood. A bad omen. An omen that came true as a huge wave of water came in Inuyasha's direction and crashed into his face, causing him to lose his grip on the rock and tumble backwards down the steep waterfall, slowly losing consciousness as he hit the water with a violent _smack_!

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Sesshomaru strode through the overgrown forest by the shores of South-Western Settsu, his humane expression equally as emotionless and stoic as his normal one. His long dark locks caught in the wind, blowing across his back and lightly tapping his forehead as if trying to tell him something. His dark violet eyes narrowed as a loud male scream could be heard from nearby, along with the fierce echo of running water - probably a waterfall, he thought. The scream however, caught his attention as he couldn't help thinking that he had heard it somewhere before. It sounded awfully familiar. So familiar he thought it would be a decent idea to check the area out. If the scream did belong to who it sounded like... it would save Sesshomaru the trouble of finding the fool.

He walked out into a large clearing with a large pool being filled by water that fell down the cliff side. Sesshomaru ventured closer so that he was standing beside the edge of the large pool, and scanned the water for anything out of the ordinary. And then his dark gaze met red.

The unconscious form of his irritant Hanyou brother, now in his human form like Sesshomaru himself as he had speculated. He lay floating in the body of water, his black hair swirling around him and his kimono swaying with the ripples. His eyes were closed and his eyebrows were un-furrowed, making his face look strangely peaceful for once. Sesshomaru stared at the pathetic sight of his little brother a while longer, before wading out into the pool an fishing the whelp out, slinging him over his shoulder as he carried him out. He then put him down on some rocks and pushed the boy's bangs from his forehead, looking at his peaceful expression again. Sesshomaru noticed several scratches and bruises on his brother's cheeks, and the fact that his right shoulder was bleeding also caught his attention. He slowly lowered his head and pressed his ear against Inuyasha's chest, having to listen very intently for a pulse as his senses were ridiculously weak. After a few moments of intense listening, the faint thuds became audible from Inuyasha's chest, indicating the fool was still alive. He had some kind of unnatural talent for surviving the impossible after all, perhaps fate was simply too kind to him too often. Sesshomaru wondered how he was to wake the insolent whelp up, since he didn't have his Youkai abilities so spewing him with acid wasn't an option. So instead he pressed his palms against Inuyasha's chest and pumped down forcefully, making the boy cough violently all of a sudden and spat several shots of water out in Sesshomaru's un-amused looking face. He punched his little brother in the stomach roughly, making Inuyasha wheeze and slowly blink his eyes open, his dark brows furrowing in pain.

"Urghh..." he groaned, waiting for his vision to adjust in the vivid sunlight. He coughed and instinctively reached out for something to pull himself up with. The something he managed to grasp, was of a thin silky material, and seemed to have something warm and hard beneath it. He grunted and tried to make out the blurry white shape before him, with a dark curtain around it and two narrow swirling purple suns at the centre. Heaving himself up, Inuyasha rested his head against something soft and furry, closing his eyes at the comforting sensation against his pounding temples. "Soft..." he murmured.

Sesshomaru's brows shot down in irritation as his little brother snuggled into the pelt on his shoulder like it was a pillow, and latched himself to him like a snake. Inuyasha's comment about his pelt made a scene from many years ago flash into his head briefly, a scene that involved a certain young Hanyou with twin canine ears twitching atop his head and curious bright gold eyes. The little whelp attached his tiny form to Sesshomaru's pelt and grinned, _"This sure is soft!"_ he giggled excitedly, receiving a predatory snarl from the Taiyoukai who tried to shake him off.

Sesshomaru frowned and shot his oblivious brother a death-glare that went unnoticed by the fool as he snuggled further into the fur pelt. Gods if anyone saw him like this... His reputation would be ruined. He would be a laughing stock amongst every Youkai in existence! He needed to get the infuriating fool off him right away! Once again, jabbing him with his poisoned claws was not an option, nor was giving him a poke with the Bakusaiga since it wouldn't transform for him in his state. Actually... an idea popped into Sesshomaru's idea that just might suffice in getting Inuyasha to release his precious pelt, and scare him as a bonus.

"Inuyasha." he spoke lowly in a sinister tone, feeling Inuyasha's entire body tense at the sound of his voice. Slowly, the former Hanyou leaned backwards and looked up at the one he just happened to have cuddled up to in such a friendly manner. Fear built in his bright violet eyes as his gaze met the frightening expression of his sadistic elder brother.

At first he didn't recognize the bastard since his face markings and alien gold eyes had vanished, and his hair had miraculously transformed itself from silver to coal-like obsidian. But no one could ever impersonate the murderous look in Sesshomaru's eyes, the way they gleamed with killing intent and hatred. That was how Inuyasha knew it was him. And he also knew that he was as good as dead. Any hope he had previously had that he would live to Kagome's time were now shattered, as his end was surely to be instantly brought about by his sadistic brother. He took in a sharp intake of breath. It wasn't over yet. Sesshomaru too didn't possess any of his Youkai abilities, meaning no poison claws. Plus the bastard's body should now be as weak as a human's, meaning he would be more susceptible to injury. But how to wound him exactly? Youkai powers or not, he still was sure to have a hell of a good reflex system with all his years of intensive training. Reason told him that the most likely outcome of such a situation would be that Sesshomaru would see right through his action and break his wrist with his iron strength. But then again, Inuyasha was never one to listen to reason... so he raised his fist and pushed it into his brother's face with all the strength he could muster. An uncomfortable silence fell as Inuyasha sat still on his brother's lap, his fist still connected to the bridge of Sesshomaru's nose. The crunching sound that could be heard as Inuyasha's fist collided with his nose had not sounded good. And Sesshomaru's eerie silence sounded even less good. Inuyasha gulped. He had practically just signed his own death certificate.

"Inuyasha..." the former Taiyoukai repeated, staring at his little brother who was slowly removing his fist from his face, trying to stop his trembling in a foolish attempt to appear strong.

A shiver ran down Inuyasha's spine at his brother's tone, and he averted his gaze away from the sharp menacing dark stare. Pushing all rational thought aside, only one thought shouted in his mind – _run_! Acting upon that thought, Inuyasha shot up and bolted in the direction of the forest, only to have his ankle grabbed and yanked firmly by Sesshomaru, thus resulting in him ending face-down in the mud. He simpered as he was firmly rolled over onto his back and was staring up into the sinister eyes of Sesshomaru. He clenched his teeth and tried to contain his pathetic trembling, not wanting to appear weak in any way, especially in front of his brother.

"Just where are you attempting to flee to, you cowardly insect?" Sesshomaru's deep chilling voice ran through Inuyasha's body, causing him to shudder in fear as his brother stared down at the pathetic demeanour he was displaying.

Not stopping to consider the consequences of his actions, Inuyasha leaned up and spat hard in Sesshomaru's face, taking the opportunity whilst Sesshomaru was frozen in surprise and disgust, to scramble from beneath his grip and run. He dashed across the muddy forest terrain, wind blowing in his face as his dark locks whipped at his back fiercely. Inuyasha paid no notice to the way the clouds seemed to darken and begin to flash with yellow and blue hues, not to mention the loud boom of thunder that sounded occasionally. He cursed. A storm was the last thing he needed right now! With the conditions worsened he would have no hope of running in the howling wind and rain and… Wait! What was he thinking!? This was perfect! With Sesshomaru's Youkai senses gone he would be relying on his own abilities of detection, meaning that if Inuyasha could find a good enough hiding place while the storm raged on… the bastard would have no hope of finding him! So he scurried along the soggy forest floor that was now drenched with the heavily falling rain, and took shelter in a large hollow tree, crouching and keeping his head low to avoid drawing any attention to himself. He tried to ignore the small flock of forest animals that were also seeking shelter in the hollow of the tree, shifting awkwardly when a small rabbit crawled closer to him and rubbed him with its wet nose.

"Hey!" he hissed, "D'you mind? I'm trying to hide here!" Suppressing his shivering from the intense cold and ignoring the fact he was soaked to the bone, Inuyasha grunted and tried to shake the little rabbit off of his sleeve, without success as it latched its tiny paws onto the material and snuggled into the soft scarlet cloth. The mother rabbit watched her kit with concern, keeping her others close and silently praying that no harm would befall the curious little kit from this human stranger. _Humans were the enemy_.

Finally giving in, Inuyasha heaved a sigh over the pounding of the rain and allowed the little bunny to snuggle further into his haori sleeve, silently appreciating the tiny amount of warmth the animal was providing. He didn't miss the other baby rabbits that were slowly hopping closer to him and their sibling, despite their mother's protests, and they too cuddled up to him. After a while, the mother rabbit too slowly made her way over to the still Inuyasha, and cautiously gave him a few sniffs. Then finally, she snuggled up against his leg, her children fast asleep just beside her. Inuyasha looked down as the fluffy kits all wound around one another and their mother, cradled against his limbs, and keeping each other warm and safe. _Safe_. That was the word that people usually associated with family, that was what Kagome would describe her family as, but Inuyasha… Safe and Sesshomaru were two words that shouldn't even belong in the same language, never mind sentence. The bastard loved to rough up Inuyasha and try to kill him, it was his passion. Never would he even dream of granting such a worthless half breed with a necessity as undeserving as safety. He was the opposite of safe - danger. Basically anywhere without Sesshomaru was safe in Inuyasha's eyes. Was that… how family was supposed to be? It was the only way family worked for Inuyasha at least. He had learned the hard way… that family was the least thing that was safe. And so in that moment of madness, Inuyasha came to envy a small rabbit coven, and came to yearn for the memory of his own little shard hunting group: A cheating and highly lecherous monk who just so happened to be rather skilled in battle, a strong and loyal female Youkai Taijiya, a highly irritant kitsune with a liking for sweet foods, a faithful and friendly feline mononoke harbouring two tails, and a mysterious raven haired miko from an equally mysterious future… the only people Inuyasha would ever truly view as family.

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Sesshomaru mentally groaned as the heavens opened and graced him with their valiant rainfall, the crisp drops clinging to his ebony mane and dripping down his silk clothes. He strode on through the forest in the direction his stupid little brother had scampered off in, brows twitching in annoyance at the whelp's unbelievable stupidity. What in the world had he been thinking when he tried to escape him so badly? What did he think he wanted to do to him? There were many things Sesshomaru would have liked to do to the idiot, most sadly involving acid claws which he did not have, but he had learned to rein his anger in. Provoking Inuyasha in such a situation would not bring any benefit on either side, nor would it help rid him of his embarrassing problem. The only way to be rid of that problem, it seemed, was to in fact comply with the Witch's wishes and indeed travel to Izumo in order to meet with her. With a little persuasion she may return their Youkai powers, and when he had his powers back… she would pay the price of messing with the feared Lord of the West, just as Inuyasha would pay for spitting in his face earlier.

Pinpointing Inuyasha without any Youkai senses was something near to impossible; in fact it was a near miracle when Sesshomaru caught sight of the blur of red sticking out from inside a large hollow tree beside the forest path. Sesshomaru walked over to the seated position of his little brother, deciding on a suitable punishment for the whelp's lack of respect displayed earlier, but stopped when he saw the fool's face. Inuyasha was leaned against the inside of the hollowed tree, eyes closed and lips parted slightly as he breathed in and out, with a horde of rabbits sleeping soundly snuggled up to him. The sight was quite ridiculous and rather pathetic in Sesshomaru's opinion, but for some reason he just couldn't seem to tear his gaze away from the peaceful sleeping expression of Inuyasha. When a person was asleep, it was like any rough exterior or mask to hide their true self from others just melted away, and the child beneath came out. As he gazed upon the unguarded form of his little brother, it was almost like Sesshomaru had been transported back in time and was staring at the tiny sleeping Hanyou cub that was constantly running from hungry demons and stealing from abusive humans. His face had been covered in dirt and bruises back then, mostly from the humans that had managed to catch him, or several demons that knocked him over and tried to eat him. The whelp had never known how he had escaped becoming a Youkai's meal so often, and Sesshomaru would never lower himself to admit out loud that he had helped the little half breed. It was preposterous. He should have just let nature take its toll and allow the Hanyou to become a demon's meal or a human's slave, or better he should have just ended the idiot's life himself. So why, even now when the opportunity presented itself yet another time… could he not? What was it about the innocence of an abomination like Inuyasha's sleeping face… that melted Sesshomaru's furious killing intent so rapidly? Was it because it was undignified to kill an innocent, especially whilst vulnerable and un-armed? But plenty of other opportunities had arisen when Inuyasha was in rage and armed that Sesshomaru could have ended his worthless life, yet still he did not. He wondered why that was.

Narrowing his eyes, he pushed such thoughts out of his head and stalked closer to where the rabbit-infested whelp sat sleeping, a sinister frown plastered onto his face. Time was against them and getting to Izumo in such a short amount of time was going to be near to impossible, especially if they didn't get a move on soon. Inuyasha sleeping away the hours was not doing the situation any good either. Sesshomaru stopped when he was stood just above Inuyasha, lowering his head to glare down at the idiot, and kicked him sharply in the leg. The mother rabbit jolted awake at the action and her head shot up in the former Taiyoukai's direction, ears perked up and her nose twitching. She locked eyes with him, and the minute she saw the hostility in him, she thumped her foot on the ground and awoke her kits quickly. The babies woke up instantly and hopped from the warmth of Inuyasha's lap, to scurry away after their mother away from the threat the human newcomer posed. Seeing that the whelp was still firmly asleep, Sesshomaru gave him another kick, this one harder than before. Inuyasha groaned and winced at the collision of Sesshomaru's boot with his leg, and lazily opened one purple eye. His carefree and lazy attitude immediately changed when he locked eyes with his sadistic brother, and he shot back against the inside of the tree, cowering like a helpless prey. This didn't amuse Sesshomaru. He leaned down into the hollow space of the tree and pulled Inuyasha out by the frontal fabric of his haori, yanking him up so that he dangled above him, and the rain soaked his dark hair. Inuyasha stared down at him in sheer terror, panting heavily as the rain seeped down his face and clothes, awfully intimidated by the ferocity in Sesshomaru's eyes. They stayed like that for a while, thunder clapping and lighting clashing in the background, before Sesshomaru finally lowered his brother down to the ground slowly. The eye contact never broke, even as Sesshomaru cautiously removed his hand from fisted in Inuyasha's shirt, and thunder boomed loudly in the distance. The only sounds were that and the pouring rain for a while, before Inuyasha scowled and finally broke the tension.

"Well!? You gonna try kill me yet or what!?"

This seemed to both amuse and irritate Sesshomaru, as his eyebrows shot up and his lips curled into a small cruel smirk. "Kill you…?" he repeated, "Why would I wish to do that… when I require you to accompany me to the province of Izumo?"

Inuyasha's brows shot down and twisted in confusion. "Wha-what?" he stuttered finally, "The hell are you mouthin' about going to Izumo? Don't tell me you're… actually going to go through with what that Witch wanted!? You're actually gonna listen to what she has to say?"

Sesshomaru frowned. "Nonsense. I merely wish to have my Youki back. That is all. And if I require your company to do so then so be it."

"Whoa whoa whoa! I ain't going nowhere with you, you sick bastard!" he protested, hands flailing around as the rain coated them, "Go yourself, I'll get there on my own!"

"You seem to forget, little brother that the woman clearly stated she would not have an audience with us if we failed to come together. It does not please me to be forced to travel in the company of such filth, but under the circumstances we have no choice."

Inuyasha crossed his arms, "Feh, you'll just use that as an excuse to beat the shit out of me as much as possible. Even without your Youkai powers you still won't hesitate to punch me into oblivion. You always find ways to hurt me." He cursed mentally at that last part, not wanting it to have slipped out. Shit, what was wrong with him recently? He was turning into such a girl, dwelling on his feelings all the time and stuff. What would Kagome think of him if she saw him now? She'd think he'd lost his edge, that's what.

This comment caught Sesshomaru's attention, and his violet eyes flashed. He had not missed the queer comment and was pondering on the meaning behind it. But with Inuyasha, finding hidden meanings behind his words was no easy task, since he always covered everything up with a tough attitude. He gave people the cold shoulder and spoke to them poorly, most likely because he wanted to avoid having his foolish feelings hurt. The Hanyou had gone through a lot of physical and emotional ruin, leaving only his stubborn ways and pride. Lowering those defences was like welcoming the enemy in - welcoming the pain. Sesshomaru knew the pain his brother had endured in his life; he had been the cause of most of it. Inuyasha would die before lowering his guard before him, because it was those defences that gave him his false sense of security. But Sesshomaru knew without his little skimpily dressed miko, Inuyasha was a lost puppy left abandoned by his master. The loneliness displayed in the whelp's voice in that last comment had proven that theory. He was lonely and frightened, all alone in a world where everyone hated his half heritage. An outcast, that's what he was.

_"__Will they always try to kill me 'cause of what I am? Will they always hate me?"_

Yes. 'They will always hate you Inuyasha', was the thought that stuck in Sesshomaru's head, 'no matter how much you protect them… no matter how much you care for them… they will always hate a dirty half breed like you.' Closing his eyes, Sesshomaru turned away from Inuyasha and began walking.

"Hey!" Inuyasha snapped, "Where're you going!? I thought you were trying to talk me into trekking all the way across the country with you! Give up so easily did ya?"

Sesshomaru stopped briefly, before continuing his sure strides. "Come little brother, we cannot afford dawdle." was his short statement.

"What makes you so sure I'm comin' with you?" Inuyasha asked sceptically, raising an eyebrow.

"…You will."

Inuyasha stared at his brother's retreating form for a while, rain pouring down onto his head. He frowned and pushed several dripping wet bangs from his eyes. "Shit…" he muttered, "The hell have I gotten myself into?" And with that, he scurried after his sadistic brother, treading in puddles along the way and splashing muddy water onto the back of Sesshomaru's white hakamas, much to the elder brother's annoyance. The clouds made a small opening, allowing several golden streams of light to shine down through the gap and fall upon the walking forms of the two brothers. The rain eased off and turned into a gentle shower that was pleasant on Sesshomaru's face as he walked, trying to ignore the muddy splashes his bottoms were receiving from Inuyasha's irritating immaturity. It was as if the weather had copied Inuyasha, gradually calming and its presence no longer as infuriating. And thus, the long journey to Izumo began.

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**Author's Note**

That's chapter three all wrapped up, what did you think! Let me know in a comment, go on it doesn't hurt to leave one! Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed!

~Happy


	4. Fear

**Author's Note**

Sorry it's been such a freaking long time! I've been pretty busy with school, life, etc. But now I'm back with another chapter ;) Thanks a heap for the reviews, I really appreciate and love you! So here you go! Enjoy.

**Disclaimer: **Ain't mine peeps, ain't mine.

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><p><strong>- BEING HUMAN –<strong>

An Inuyasha and Sesshomaru story

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**Chapter 4**

**Fear**

Several birds chirped and fanned out their wings to take flight from the tree branches, brushing up against dew coated leaves and shaking their feathers off. They sucked in vast pockets of air into their tiny lungs, their feathered breasts inflating as they then opened their mouths to begin a harmony of lively tweets. The sky was blue and dotted with several white clouds, the earlier storm having passed entirely, a cue for nature to emerge and begin the daily ritual of noisy songbirds and gentle breezes. Inuyasha plodded behind Sesshomaru, wringing the damp out of his dark hair from the rainfall, and sending the singing birds irritated glares motioning for them to shut the hell up. It was bad enough that he was being forced to travel with his infuriating elder brother, the last thing he needed to go with that was a headache from some stupid noisy birds.

Distracted by the damned birds, he didn't notice Sesshomaru stop abruptly in front of him, and he walked right into the hard armor on his back. "Ow!" he yelped, rubbing his nose and glaring daggers at Sesshomaru's back, "What're ya doing!? Stopping for no reason like that!? Sheesh I'm lucky you didn't break my nose with that shit-ton o' armor you've got on!" Sesshomaru was silent, further fueling Inuyasha's anger as he stomped forward to stand beside him and fold his arms. "Hello? I'm talkin' to you here!"

"A problem had arisen." Sesshomaru stated flatly, not even looking at Inuyasha as he kept his gaze forward.

Inuyasha frowned, "What kind of problem?"

"...The kind that involves us being surrounded by a group of bandits, little brother."

Inuyasha's eyes widened as bodies emerged from the bushes around them, revealing the chubby forms of at least five bandits, all dressed in stolen goods undoubtedly. They grinned and chuckled as they examined the two brothers, eyeing them excitedly. Inuyasha slowly moved his hand down to the handle of Tetsusaiga, only to freeze when he remembered his predicament. The sword wouldn't transform for him. Not like this. "Crap…" he muttered, backing towards Sesshomaru, who was eerily silent even for him. What the hell were they going to do now? Despite Sesshomaru's strength, Inuyasha doubted that in human form not even he would be able to take down this many strong-looking opponents, even with help. This wasn't the way Inuyasha wanted to go at all! He had always imagined his end being doing something worthwhile or protecting something important to him, not by having his throat slit by some lame human thieves. But from the way things were looking now, that may just be how he was going to end. Unless Sesshomaru of course had some amazingly clever plan to get them out of this little predicament… Which was kind of unlikely, even for him.

"Look boss," one of the men grinned, "One of 'em's wearing all that fancy attire, I bet they're nobles. That means they'll be loaded."

Inuyasha snorted, "You won't find anything on me idiot! I don't ever need money; it's kinda useless to me so I don't lug it around!"

The bandits all laughed at this and stared at him with disbelief. "It's useless to lie to us boy," a tall bandit smirked, reaching for his sword, "Everyone needs money you twit! What a pathetic excuse to try to save yourself!" They laughed again and began making their way closer towards the brothers, all drawing their swords in unison.

Inuyasha narrowed his eyes and gritted his teeth together, squeezing the Tetsusaiga's handle tightly. Wondering why Sesshomaru was putting up with all of this, he glanced over his shoulder at his brother's back and furrowed his brows in confusion. The bastard was stood motionless, completely unaffected by the bandit's words and apparently oblivious to the fact that he was unable to do anything to defend himself. Since Tetsusaiga refused to transform, Inuyasha doubted that neither the Bakusaiga nor the Tenseiga would either. When would the egoistic idiot realize they were completely defenceless? Approaching this matter with his usual ass, over-confident attitude would do little for them now, but this silence was something else entirely when Sesshomaru involved. Inuyasha wondered just what he was up to.

What happened next happened so fast Inuyasha was unsure if he had just imagined it, and he blinked slowly to register what had happened. The leader of the group had lunged towards the oddly silent Sesshomaru, sword drawn and ready for the kill, then somehow Sesshomaru's fist had ended up in his face and the crunching of bones could be heard in the sudden silence that fell. The leader fell to his knees, hands covering his bleeding face and groaning loudly in pain. The other bandits gasped in surprise at the weakness displayed by their leader, and advanced inward with rage in revenge for their boss' humiliation. Inuyasha squeezed his eyes shut, expecting the pain of blades piercing him, but it didn't come. He opened his eyes to see two of the bandits rolling around on the floor: one holding his stomach and the other clutching his rib, both grunting in agony. Sesshomaru stood a few feet away, the other two bandits pressed firmly in headlocks as he pounded them mercilessly, before dropping them to the ground. He then proceeded to giving each of the five a hard kick in their chests, causing them to exclaim in pain and lay on the floor limply, in too much agony to move. Inuyasha looked at his brother, wide-eyed, his jaw hanging open in shock. Sesshomaru raised an elegant brow before carrying on his way in the direction of the forest path, not giving the bandits chance to recover and try for another round… not that they'd want to after that beating. Inuyasha scurried after him quickly so that he was walking beside him, staring at him with disbelief over what had just happened.

"Wipe that silly expression off your face Inuyasha," he said bluntly, tired of his brother's awkward gawking, "It gives you the appearance of even more a fool than you are now."

The look of surprise vanished from the former Hanyou's face and was replaced by a distasteful scowl. "Keh!" he spat, tucking his arms into his sleeves and shifting his gaze forward. After a brief session of tense silence, Inuyasha finally spoke up, his eyes still trained ahead. "So about back there…" he started, only to be cut off mid sentence.

"Did you make the foolish assumption that without my demonic attributes I would be visibly weak and unable to defend myself against a few mere humans?" the former Taiyoukai smirked.

"That's… actually not what I was going to say y'know. I was going to suggest that maybe we should get out of these clothes."

Sesshomaru stopped dead in his tracks and shot Inuyasha a strange look. Finally realizing his wording, Inuyasha yelped and waved his hands around wildly, "No no, that's not what I meant you pervert! I didn't say get naked I just meant we should probably change into something a little less flashy since we might get ambushed again! Jeez!"

The slightly horrified look in Sesshomaru's dark eyes faded and he frowned. "Are you proposing that this Sesshomaru should have to dress in peasant clothing?" he asked, his voice lined with disgust.

"If you don't wanna run into so many delays then yeah!" he yelled, "It's not like anyone's gonna recognize you anyway so I don't get what the problem is! All you'd have to do is get rid of the fancy ass armour and royal kimono… your fluff will have to go too if you don't want it stolen."

Sesshomaru's brow twitched. "Abandon my pelt? Preposterous." he snorted.

"You won't think it's such a preposterous idea when you've got a cold hobo sleeping in it at night-time!" Inuyasha pointed out, "It's not like you'd be getting rid of it forever anyway, we'd just dig a hole and leave it there, and then you can come back for it when we've got our Youkai powers back. Sheesh stop making such a fuss over nothing!" Inuyasha blinked when he noticed the element of Kagome in his language then. She really did rub off on him, he thought with a small smile.

Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow at his brother's small unexpected smile, and eyed his pelt for a while. Finally, he sighed inwardly and began untying the crimson straps of his armour, allowing the black breastplate to drop to the ground with a metallic clank! He then lifted the huge fur pelt that sat draped across his right shoulder and held it in front of him. Inuyasha watched with interest as his brother dug a small hole with the Bakusaiga's sheath, just big enough for the armour and fluff, then placed the items into the deep crater. He then covered it over and stomped on it with his boot to flatten the scarred earth. "The haori and hakamas stay." he stated flatly and firmly before carrying on his way. Inuyasha chuckled under his breath at the stubborn attitude being displayed before him, and tagged along behind the former Taiyoukai… who looked kind... _naked_ without all his get-up on. But even Inuyasha wasn't stupid enough to voice something like that out loud; he didn't quite want his tongue slicing off.

Shortly afterwards, the brothers reached the edge of a rather large human dwelling, townsfolk hustling and bustling as they ran about like headless chickens. Inuyasha looked at the scene through the bushes and crossed his arms, sparing Sesshomaru a sneaky side glance. A very pissed and stressed out Sesshomaru placed in a human settlement was maybe not the best or safest idea, especially not for the town's human inhabitants, but travelling around the circumference of such a huge town would take a lot more unnecessary hours than they had, and time was of the essence for both the brothers right now. The quickest option, and Inuyasha knew it, was to travel through the town, keeping a low profile as possible and avoiding any trouble that Sesshomaru was likely to cause with him just being himself. Cautiously, Inuyasha opened his mouth to try to tell his stubborn elder brother of the plan.

"Hey… you're not gonna like this because you're such a proud and pompous asshole… but we gotta go through this village if we wanna get to Izumo in time." he released the news slowly, hoping the information would stick in Sesshomaru's egoistic brain that constantly screamed 'I'm soo much better than you'.

Inuyasha didn't fail to notice one of Sesshomaru's eyes twitching ever so slightly, and shot his brother a disapproving scowl. His next sentence fuelled Inuyasha's irritation even more. "…You wish to travel through… _human_ territory?" he asked in a voice that could be considered whimpering for him, "Preposterous. I will not comply."

It was this oh-so-arrogant tone and behaviour that really ticked Inuyasha off, and in that moment of frustration he completely forgot all about his fear for his menacing elder brother, and grabbed Sesshomaru by the front of his shirt, dragging him closer to him. "Look here you bastard, you were the one who was worrying about dawdling so going through this town is the best option. So just pull your shit together for a bit and just listen to me!" Sesshomaru didn't seem to like the strict tone of voice his _younger_ brother had taken with him, and he slapped Inuyasha's fist from his shirt and gripped that wrist with his iron grip. Inuyasha winced, the fear flooding back into him as Sesshomaru squeezed his wrist tightly and glared at him with his eerie purple eyes, his face only inches away. He gulped. "…Hey…" he started before his words seemed to run away from him as he continued to stare into Sesshomaru's frightening eyes. Being brothers, the two of them shared quite a lot of similar traits, those being mostly hair and eye colour. But in human form… god knows how alike they looked. Did Inuyasha's eyes contain that same amount of malice he saw shining in Sesshomaru's eyes? Did they too contain such darkness and a sinister quality? Even in human form, did he too still resemble… a monster?

"Breathe Inuyasha. I am squeezing your wrist, not your throat." Sesshomaru's low tone cut right through Inuyasha's thoughts as he suddenly released the breath he hadn't known he was holding. As the whelp caught his breath, Sesshomaru ever so slowly released his grip on his surprisingly small wrist. His gaze however, never left the wheezing former Hanyou, his eyes that had not so long ago been filled with menace now filled with confusion. When Inuyasha finally caught his breath, Sesshomaru asked a question that made the younger sibling freeze. "You are afraid of me."

Inuyasha snorted. "Pfft. In your dreams! I ain't scared of a stubborn dog like you!" he denied, crossing his arms and closing his eyes to avoid looking into Sesshomaru's eerie gaze.

Sesshomaru's eyes flickered. "But you are." he said slowly, "And you are not just afraid… you are terrified." Watching as Inuyasha's eyes slowly slid open, still looking off at something in the distance as he scowled.

"Can you really blame me?" Inuyasha mumbled, "You've tried to kill me and stuck your fucking poisonous claws through my gut god knows how many times in the past… It seems legit that I'd be a little scared of your ass doesn't it?"

"…There was no fear before."

Inuyasha finally averted his gaze so that it met Sesshomaru's and his breath caught in his throat. "…What?" he asked stupidly.

Something flickered in Sesshomaru's dark eyes, something fast. "Before the final battle with Naraku, you never displayed any signs of fear towards me. You only spouted idiocy with your words and lunged at me endlessly with your feeble attempts at swordplay… But there was no fear in your behaviour then. There was once a time you used to relish in fighting as my opponent."

"That was because I had something that was worth fighting for back then." he mumbled quietly, almost in an ashamed manner.

Sesshomaru's brows shot up at this and he stared at his little brother. '_The Miko_' was the first thought that flashed into his mind as he replayed the sentence in his mind. Inuyasha was constantly fighting to shield that strange little miko from danger, despite her being no more than a recycled version of his first love that was responsible for his dormant period on the trunk of the sacred Goshinboku. Such a weakness… Such a waste. All that potential greatness displayed by his power, wasted on a mere human girl who was no more than a copy of an original. Since he claimed his heart and soul to belong to the undead miko made from clay, Sesshomaru wondered just what his brother's relationship to her reincarnation actually was. It was obvious that she possessed fond feelings towards the half demon, but his actions were rather contradictory. He fought for, protected, and cared for the girl, yet in the end he still went running straight back to his first woman. Human emotions were indeed confusing. But despite his insistence of his love for the broken clay doll, his devotion to her reincarnation was evidently clear. The whelp was torn. Torn between the fist spark of attraction and acceptance he had felt, and the pleasure he found in excitement and fun. It soon became clear to Sesshomaru what his younger brother had felt. He felt indebted to the undead miko and was loyal to her, but at the same time he couldn't help what he felt for her reincarnation…

"…You loved her." was his silent whisper, that drew a small gasp from Inuyasha whose eyes widened in surprise at what had been said. But he knew better than to try say otherwise, because the whelp knew it was true.

With a sigh, Inuyasha looked down at the ground with a sad and rather lonesome expression, before finally replying. "No... Not like she did." His eyes flickered with a soft sliver of jasmine as the words left his lips, "That's what made it even harder to let her go... Knowing that I could never have given her the same amount of love that she offered."

Sesshomaru stared at Inuyasha for a while longer, not uttering another word, before he turned away from his brother and began walking in the direction of the human village's entrance. Inuyasha stared after him in surprise at his actions and yelled after him, "Hey! The hell do ya think you're going!? Try'na ditch me for goin' all mushy on you there? Pussy."

The former Taiyoukai glanced over his shoulder at the familiar spark that was shining in Inuyasha's eyes again, and suppressed his smirk. "You wished to travel through this disgusting vermin-infested dwelling… I am following those wishes."

And with that, he walked off, leaving a very surprised Inuyasha standing behind him. Inuyasha just stood there dumbly in disbelief before scurrying after his elder brother quickly. He took a sneaky glance up at Sesshomaru from beneath his raven bangs and tried to read the unreadable expression the bastard wore as a mask… without much success. "So uh… what changed your mind about trekking through human-land?" he asked curiously. Unsurprisingly, he received no answer, not even a glance. So he decided to let the matter drop for now and just walk in the oddly comfortable silence he felt beside Sesshomaru. Gone was the fear, and in its place was a strange feeling of pacification, like an invisible weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

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><p><strong>Author's Corner<strong>

Another chappie down, review please! (It makes me update faster) ~Happy


	5. Dreamer

**Author's Corner**

Hey me again! Sorry it's been a while since I've updated but it's been crazy recently with exam prep, assignments all in for the beginning of January, and of course Christmas and New Years! But anyway here's the next chapter, hope you like it! Thank you all so much for the reviews, favorites, follows etc. I honestly love you all so much! Hope it's not too much trouble to ask you to keep up the support! Thanks again! Enjoy.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Inuyasha, and neither do you. Sad, I know :(

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><p><strong>- BEING HUMAN -<strong>

An Inuyasha and Sesshomaru story

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**Chapter Five**

**Dreamer**

"Ugh," Inuyasha grunted hardheartedly, "I can see why ya didn't wanna go through here now. The women're all gawkin' at ya like you're a meal!"

Sesshomaru plodded on in front of his complaining little brother, apparently oblivious to the heated stares he was getting from the human females that inhabited the petty human settlement. Inuyasha scowled. Why was he not surprised? Of course all the women would be drawn to him; the bastard always looked perfect. With his silky long now raven hair, muscular figure, and dark reserved eyes, it was only natural for him to be a woman magnet. Inuyasha folded his arms into the sleeves of his haori, mumbling some foul curses under his breath that went unnoticed by Sesshomaru, who was too busy wondering when they were going to be out of the foul human-infested town. It was whilst in those disgusting thoughts of detest that Inuyasha jogged a little so that he was trotting beside his brother. Sesshomaru glanced at the former hanyou that was sadly his half brother from the corner of his eye and saw his curious expression. Why did he look curious? The only assumption to that question Sesshomaru could come up with was that he idiot was about to spout out a ridiculous question of some kind... And that prediction couldn't have been more right.

"So Sesshomaru..." he started, "Just outta curiosity, I've been wonderin'... If you hate humans so much how come ya let a little human girl tag along all over the country with you and the toad?"

Sesshomaru's violet eyes narrowed at the mention of Rin and chose to ignore the idiot's question, blanking him completely as he closed his eyes. Inuyasha's brows shot down in annoyance and he punched his brother's arm in an attempt to get his attention. "Hey! What's with the attitude!?" he snapped harshly, "You're s'posed to answer people when they talk to you y'know! Well not that it surprises me, you always were a rude bastard! What else was I expecting from someone with an ego the size of Japan-"

"Silence you impudent fool," Sesshomaru hissed, flashing him a fierce glare from beneath his dark lashes, "You are drawing unnecessary attention to us."

"Aw fuck that! You know what Sesshomaru, I couldn't give two sh-" His foul language was cut short by Sesshomaru shoving him down an alleyway and clamping his hand over the fool's mouth. Inuyasha protested and thrashed around, pushing Sesshomaru's chest with his palms, but it was like trying to move a mountain. It angered him even further when he found Sesshomaru's full attention wasn't even directed at him since the arrogant sod was staring off at the street they had been previously walking down. Inuyasha saw an opening in Sesshomaru's fingers and took the opportunity to yell some more in a muffled tone, "Hey! Fwhat the hell d'ya fwink you're dowin'!? Get off o' me!"

Sesshomaru's hand tightened over his mouth, making speech pretty much impossible now, and his mouth curled into a deeper frown. As to be expected, the ice lord said nothing. They stayed like that for what seemed like hours to Inuyasha, and the ordinary noises emitting from the townspeople were ringing in his ears loudly. But no sound came from Sesshomaru, and his hand remained tightly pressed over Inuyasha's mouth. Yet nothing happened. This... this _nothing_ was driving him mad! If something didn't happen soon there was a good chance he was going to freak out and kneeing Sesshomaru right in-between his legs. It wouldn't be like he was at fault either, since Sesshomaru had been the one that had pressed him to a wall so roughly. He could just pass it off as self defence, though he doubted Sesshomaru would buy such a weak excuse.

"We are being followed." Sesshomaru finally spoke, breaking the ringing in Inuyasha's ears.

"W...Wha?" he finally muttered dumbly into the palm of Sesshomaru's hand, blinking several times in order to register Sesshomaru's sudden statement, "What do ya mean wewre being followed?"

"I mean exactly what I just stated. We are being pursued by something, however without my youkai senses I am unable to determine just what it is."

"Then how d'ya know it's fowowin' us if you don't even know what it is?"

Much to Inuyasha's dismay, he chose to ignore this question and merely tightened his hand over his mouth again. Sesshomaru's eyes flashed a fierce jasmine as a tall hooded figure walked by in the street, going unnoticed by the oblivious humans (not that such a thing was surprising to Sesshomaru). Eventually, he removed his hand from over Inuyasha's mouth and took a step away from him, his eyes still glued to the retreating form of the hooded figure out in the open. In any other situation like this, he would have followed after the mystery figure and demanded an explanation for the stalker-like behaviour. However, since he was lacking his demonic powers, he decided that such an approach perhaps wasn't the best cause of action and instead planned to remain silent for a while longer until the stranger had well and truly passed out of the vicinity. Inuyasha of course, had other ideas.

"Was that him!?" the aggressive former hanyou frowned, balling his fists and stepping away from the wall which he had been previously glued to by the larger frame of his older brother. He turned to Sesshomaru and this time demanded an answer from the silent male. "_Well_!? Was it!?" he pushed on.

Sesshomaru shot his brother an icy glare that could probably freeze oceans before uttering the few words: "Hush you impudent hanyou.." He then made his way out of the dirty alley and down the dusty street without another word.

Inuyasha scowled and trailed behind him stubbornly, kicking the occasional rock with his bare foot to vent out some frustration. His thoughts however, were one that quiet insult Sesshomaru had uttered under his breath. It wasn't that it had particularly offended him in any way, but it had taken a bit of a blow to his pride in a way. He had called him an 'impudent _hanyou'..._ He wasn't even a dirty hanyou any more, not even half of the greatness his father was. He was nothing. Just a pathetic little human, weak and reliant on the help of others. Inuyasha hated that – being useless on his own. Before Kagome and the others, he'd never relied on anyone for anything, after his mother had died of course. He had been alone in the wilderness of Japan, forced to fend for himself against any rogue demons... and humans if they chose to lash out at him. And where had Sesshomaru been? Not close enough to be willing to help the orphaned hanyou in any way, that's where. Unless he was taunting or attacking that is...

.

.

.

A figure concealed in a dark cape strolled down the streets of a small town in the province of Harima, his face hidden with the large hood. The only feature that could be seen in the shadows of the hood, was the figure's mouth, which ever so slowly curled up into a small smile as he walked on. This news was sure to intrigue his lady... very much so indeed, he thought with a smirk before he dissappeared into the shadows of the town.

.

.

.

By the time the two brothers had reached the edge of the town, it was already nightfall, and the youngest of the siblings opened his mouth wide to release a yawn. He followed behind Sesshomaru, his footsteps loud and uneven in his tired state. He came to an abrupt stop and looked around for a comfortable looking tree, since they had finally left the awful human town. When he spied one, he scurried over to the base of it and made a jump in attempt to reach its branches. However, in his human form it was useless, and he couldn't jump high enough. He frowned and began trying to crawl up the trunk of the tree, hooking his arms and legs around its wide circumference to balance himself.

Sesshomaru watched this scene with deadly amusement glinting away in his eyes, as Inuyasha slid down the trunk miserably once again. "Is the insect attempting to crawl back into his hole in the tree?" he taunted harshly, earning a deep scowl from the former hanyou that sat on his backside at the foot of the tree.

"Oh shut up," Inuyasha snapped, "I'm just tryin' to get up there where it's safe. Youkai come out in larger numbers at night and they sure as hell like the taste o' human flesh, and right now.. that means you an' me."

Sesshomaru's eyes glinted in the darkness of dusk, and his lips curled up into a chilling smirk. "You believe I would allow a weak low level youkai to feast upon _my_ flesh?" he chuckled, "I think not."

"Well I don't see how you're gonna avoid that outcome in the state you're in." Inuyasha grunted, still trying to scamper up the tree, "Right now, you're a walking meal for any passing demon."

"How preposterous. You forget my position as ruler of these Lands. No youkai would be foolish enough to digest their own Lord and master."

"Hate to break it to ya, but without your face stripes and moon tattoo, fur boa or whatever it is and... well your demon power, no random youkai is gonna be able to tell you apart from any other tasty human. Demons aren't exactly smart or merciful when it comes to their dinner you see. Take it from an expert on the subject."

Sesshomaru waited for Inuyasha to slide back down the tree again before he opened his mouth to speak again. "So how is it that you, little brother, have survived so many moonless nights without meeting your demise at the hands of a hungry demon? As far as I am aware, you had no one to protect you."

Inuyasha stopped trying to climb the tree for a moment and fell uncharacteristically silent. He stared down at the ground with his wide purple eyes and blinked slowly. After a while, his brows curled downward and his expression turned to one of a more sour nature, and he turned to face his brother. "...You're right about one thing Sesshomaru; I did have no one, I was completely alone... No one to protect me, no one to send the monsters that tried to kill me away... But I still made it!" he yelled, leaping to his feet with a familiar fire in his rough violet eyes, "I made it all on my own without anyone's help! Unlike you, who had father's training and probably round the clock guards protecting you, I made it all by myself! So who's the stronger person here, huh? Well, who is it you egoistic bastard!?"

Sesshomaru's eyes gleamed dangerously in the dark, sending a chill down Inuyasha's spine as the former Taiyoukai did not utter a single word on his little brother's sudden outburst. He just stood, basked in the light of the newly risen moon, his long black hair painted an eerie dark blue as the starlight shone down onto it. "I am superior to you in every way, you filthy hanyou." he spat, "Do not ever forget that. I have the power to kill you any time I wish."

"Then you may as well do just that and get it out of the way!" was Inuyasha's sure response, "It's not like I have anything left to live for anyway..." He looked at the loathing in Sesshomaru's eyes and frowned sadly, "Or maybe I should just bugger off an' find some weak ass youkai to save ya the trouble of doing it. Hell they'd get an easy meal-"

This proclamation didn't sit well with Sesshomaru as he stalked over to his god-annoying little brother and picked him up by his neck, holding him up with his feet dangling above the ground. Inuyasha coughed at the sudden pressure on his windpipe as he struggled to breathe. He stared down at the ferocity in Sesshomaru's eyes and brought up his hands to try and remove the larger hand that was wrapped around his neck.

"You are mine to kill Inuyasha." he spat, "No other shall have the pleasure of seeing the worthless amount of life drain from your eyes. It is mine, and mine alone."

Inuyasha coughed and flashed a sadistic grin, "Then go ahead. Still don't see what's holding ya back."

He glared daggers at Inuyasha for a while longer, before eventually loosening his grip on the boy's neck so that he fell to the ground without much grace. His eyes gleamed with killing intent, although that intent was never truly put into action with his body. Yet again, he would not kill the useless whelp he was cursed with as a blood relative. It was another perfect opportunity, where the fool was vulnerable and he had the upper hand. And yet... he just would not. How incredibly perplexing this dilemma of his was becoming. Exterminating such a disgraceful hanyou, a stain in the family name, should be a ridiculously simple task... so why had it not yet been carried out?

"_Hey Sesshomaru? How come ya always say you're gonna kill me... but then ya never actually do?"_

"_... Do not fret, for there will come a time, little hanyou, when my threats will eventually be carried out. But that time is not now."_

"_But why is it not now? What's holding you back?"_

The pitiful voice of youth rung in Sesshomaru's head as memories of over two centuries ago came flooding back to his mind. Memories of a young half-cast, a victim to discrimination by not just one, but _two_ races – youkai _and_ humans. A pathetic little creature, half of each, yet accepted by neither. Yearning for affection from either one, but receiving only scorn and promises of demise from both. Innocence... seeking comfort from desolation. A shot in the dark, yet that did not stop the foolish boy from reaching out, longing for a warm hand to take his and lead him away from his discrimination. A hand that should have been that of his own brother's... only was not. As a substitute, he received no one. A poor substitute indeed, and rather cruel for one so young. But with being born a hanyou, cruelty was only a small part of what came in the package.

Sesshomaru watched Inuyasha once again try to scurry up the tree with narrowed eyes, seeming to have tired waiting for his older brother to respond. He seemed to be making progress as his fingertips had reached the lowest branches and managed to haul himself half of the way up, only to then loose his grip and fall backward. But instead of the hard ground he was expecting to collide with, his back hit something else that was hard, but soft too... and warm. Inuyasha turned to look over his shoulder and gasped when he saw the dark eyes of his elder brother staring back at him, he having fallen back literally into his arms. He blinked, swallowed, and cleared his throat to say something. But before he could speak, Sesshomaru wound his arms around his waist and lifted him up to set him down on one of the branches. Inuyasha stared down at his brother wide-eyed with disbelief at what he had just done... at the fact the bastard had just _lent him a hand _with something. It was just too unbelievable to be true. In fact what happened next was way more unbelievable, and drew an audible gasp from the already shocked Inuyasha. After setting him down on the branch, Sesshomaru pulled himself up into the tree and positioned himself on another sturdy branch. He then began making his way up through the thin canopy, looking down at Inuyasha occasionally to see if he would follow. But the whelp only stared, his violet eyes shining like jewels, with his lips parted as he sucked in sharp intakes of breath. Shock, confusion and uncertainty seemed to shimmer in his young eyes, eyes so young Sesshomaru had never noticed quite how incredibly young they were. Sesshomaru nearly heaved a soft sigh as he lowered his arm down to his half brother. Inuyasha stared at the out-stretched hand like he had never seen anything like it before, so Sesshomaru just grabbed the boy's hand and yanked him higher up into the branches of the large tree.

Once higher up, Sesshomaru situated himself on a thick sturdy branch and leaned his back against the tree trunk, waiting for Inuyasha to scramble up to his level. He still had a hold of the whelp's hand and was pulling him up impatiently, not oblivious to the way Inuyasha would sometimes wince when he tightened his grip on his smaller hand. Sesshomaru wasn't sure whether it was just an old habit out of the whelp's fear of his poison claws, since his nails were as blunt as any ordinary human right now so they wouldn't do too much damage, or if he was just uncomfortable being touched by his own brother... not that it would surprise him really after all the boy had been through on his account.

When the former hanyou finally hauled himself up, he pulled his hand out of Sesshomaru's quickly and settled himself on a branch that was considerably further away from the one his brother had chosen to perch on. He sat quietly, for what must have been the first time since they had set off on their journey, and stared down through the gaps in the branches at the view of the floor he was provided with. Sesshomaru dismissed his brother's odd silence and closed his eyes to sleep – a rather annoying necessity that came with his newly cursed humanity since humans required a large amount of slumber compared to youkai.

"Hey," Inuyasha's sudden desire to speak interrupted this human necessity, and Sesshomaru cautiously opened one eye. Inuyasha stared at him strangely, his expression actually quite plain and unreadable for once. "...Why'd you do that?" he asked finally, referring to the unexpected bit of help he had just received on climbing the tree.

A smirk ghosted Sesshomaru's lips as he closed his eye again. "I grew tired of your melodrama and foolish attempts at climbing." he whispered quietly.

Inuyasha stared. His answer seemed so simple, like what he had just done was as natural as sleeping... but it was as far from natural as you could go. Inuyasha couldn't remember once when Sesshomaru had stepped in and lent him a helping hand, well if he didn't count the time during the battle with Sō'unga when he had pushed him out of the line of fire. But that was besides the point. Even during the few memories he had of his infancy, not once did Inuyasha recall a time when Sesshomaru had helped him with anything. He remembered the insults, the name-calling and the death threats... but never a time that his brother had acted anything like a brother. So this new development was strange, _alien_ in fact. Stranger than the time Kagome had not 'sat' him for a full day because she felt bad about something. What was wrong with the bastard? Just what was he trying to do? Befriend him so that when he let is guard down he could kill him in his sleep? Like that would ever happen. Over the many years of running, alone and unwanted, if there was one thing he knew... it was never to let his guard down around Sesshomaru. Because only he knew how to pierce him with mere words, without the need of a sword. Only he possessed the power to kill him, and as he had promised surely a hundred times, the day would come when he would sink his claws into his own brother's heart and watch as the life drained from his eyes. And Inuyasha welcomed that fate with open arms, for even he knew that a dream-bound hanyou like him would never live to see the bright eyed priestess from five hundred years into the future again. Like the sand in an hourglass, his time with her had run out. Like a night's dream, fated to end when the sun rose in the morning, her image would eventually fade from his mind.

And so, Inuyasha allowed his eyelids to glide closed, and he dreamed of wondrous nights of sitting around camp-fires, surrounded by the warm smiles of his companions, a light laughter filling the darkness of the night. But the main source of warmth in those dreams was not the light of the fire, but the smile of a young miko clad in green and white. And unbeknownst to the contently dreaming Inuyasha, a single shining tear slid down his right cheek and fell from his jaw onto the tree branch on which he slept, shattering into smaller tiny droplets as it hit the hard wood... like a shimmering jewel that had been struck by a magic arrow. But this tiny droplet, however, did not go unnoticed by the regal form of the boy's elder brother, who sat on a nearby branch with one eye propped open, watching the wet trail of sorrow slide down his sibling's right cheek.

Tear of the dreamer.

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><p><strong>Author's Corner<strong>

Aww poor Inuyasha, he sure does miss lovely old Kagome. Sorry kiddo but it doesn't look like she's coming back :( Don't worry kind readers, he won't be this depressed all the time! And hopefully Sesshomaru will learn to be a little nicer to his brother, he's not doing too bad so far considering the fact that he's hated the poor lad for well over a century! But has he really? What happened in their past that caused them to hate each other so much? We all know why Sessh hates his brother, but what's Inu's side of the story? Is it really just down to all the insults and death threats he got from the Taiyoukai? Or is there something else we don't know yet?... Review to find out! (It'll make me update faster) ;)

~Happy


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